


Just an Affinity for Creatures of the End

by Ariyaquila



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: 1.17 minecraft spoilers I guess, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Gen, Minecraft typical violence, introduce me one day would ya?, pacing and consistent tone? don't know who they are, the warden mob is basically a really scary cat in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27853242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariyaquila/pseuds/Ariyaquila
Summary: A glitch brought the warden mob into the game about a year early, catching those in the area off guard. Good thing one of the players is experienced with them.
Relationships: None
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	Just an Affinity for Creatures of the End

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon that any skulk-related thing is the Void infecting the Overworld, especially since it only occurs in the lowest parts of the world. Plus it just looks like Void stuff. ._.
> 
> TW: minor character death implied, mild descriptions of injury (anything else please let me know, thank you)

The warden mob wasn't supposed to be in the game until the summer of next year, so when one was reported to be seen in the Shopping District, Xisuma almost had a heart attack.

He's never fumbled with his rockets until now. He's never tripped out the bay of his storage tower until now. He's never used so many rockets in one flight to the Shopping District until now.

He's also never heard truly panicked shouts from the Hermits until now.

The Admin landed in the source of the panic, tripping slightly on the upturned terrain. He ignored the spreading mycelium and turned his focus to the injured Hermits that laid on the side, away from harm's way.

"Goodness me, what happened-"

"For once it wasn't me! Are you proud, X?" Zed said with a snicker. Xisuma blinked, his eyes trained on the stumbling warden.

"Not the time, Zed!" Impulse called from the other side of the field, holding his arm that seemed to be dislocated.

Zedaph's eyes widened and focused somewhere behind Xisuma. "Tango, mov-" It was too late, and the warden had struck Tango down, sending him to respawn. His items littered the floor, and it took everyone a moment to realize the warden had one-shot Tango in full diamond armor.

Cue more panicked shouts.

"How in the name of the Aether did it get into this server?"

"Glitch, probably?"

"Glitch my a-"

That conversation was going too fast for Xisuma to focus on any longer. He turned his attention to Ren and Cub, who were picking each other off the floor. The warden charged to them, and Xisuma had to clench his jaw from uncharacteristically yelping in fear.

"Dudes, this mob hits like a truck- eh, harder than a truck- I'm not sure if we should continue attacking or-" Ren jumped out of the way with a yelp. How he was still alive when he didn't wear armor was a mystery to everyone. He also seemed to be the only one who was not crazed with terror, but seemed to lack the idea of flying away from the mob.

Xisuma, finally gathering his bearings and taking note of the situation, pulled Ren and Cub away from the warden and pushed them to the other Hermits.

"Stop moving, don't make any sound," Xisuma hissed. Around him, all movement ceased as the warden turned around, confused at the sudden lack of sounds. In a quieter volume, Xisuma continued, "Gonna try somethin', hold a moment or back up silently, please." At the sight of the growling beast, all opted to back away.

Satisfied with the safety of the other Hermits, the Admin approached the mob. Some Hermits protested, but were quickly silenced by the others. X knew what he was doing.

Or so he and the others hoped. If not, that’s a painful and embarrassing way to get sent to respawn.

Xisuma held his hand out, as if he were trying to stop the mob with a force of magic. His arm, slightly bent at the elbow and palm towards the great beast, stretched forwards more, as if he were trying to reach for it.

Just a few blocks away, the warden clumsily turned to Xisuma at the sound of his footsteps. The Hermit ground his heel into the grass, sending a visible vibration particle to the mob's antler sensors. It stumbled forwards, seemingly tripping with every step it took.

Xisuma tensed, his shoulders rising to his ears. He couldn't help but shake when the mob stopped in front of him.

The warden raised its arms with a roar that shook Xisuma's bones, readying itself for an attack. The Admin's eyes widened as the inevitable was about to happen, knowing it was too late to move out of the mob's way.

Xisuma clenched his eyes shut, readying himself for the pain of the impact and mentally adding to the derp counter for thinking this stupid plan would work-

Half-way in it's downstroke, the warden paused, managing to not clock Xisuma in the side of the head. When he felt no hit, Xisuma cracked his eyes open. If the warden had eyes, the Hermit figured they would be narrowed at him.

A moment passed, two moments, and the mob leaned forwards, moving it's face closer to Xisuma. Its nose—or, so everyone assumed—twitched again as it inspected his hand. The Admin refused the urge to squirm, to move away from the towering form that stood at twice his height even though it was bending over. Xisuma closed his eyes again, his helmet bobbing slightly as he gulped, steeling his nerves and keeping as still as possible.

And after what seemed like eons, the warden headbutted his outstretched hand with a gentle force none thought possible. It nuzzled against the Hermit's palm. Xisuma released the breath he held, slowly moving his hand to stroke the warden's head. It leaned into his touch, snuggling closer to the Admin.

Xisuma's shoulders relaxed every so slightly once the warden showed it was not agitated. In turn, the warden growled (or was it a purr?), deciding to sit on the grass with his hand still resting on its head.

After debating with himself, he decided to wait until the warden fell asleep until he moved. He knew he would be incredibly salty if a simple movement undid all the work and trust he gained.

And so he waited with the patience of a well-trained Admin, absently stroking the warden's oddly textured head, sometimes petting the antlers and allowing the mob to hug his arm.

Xisuma couldn't tell when the warden fell asleep, but was well after his hand became numb and his leg was trapped under its lanky arm.

A Hermit silently glided above Xisuma and dropped half a stack of wool. He silently gave a thankful expression to the sky before crafting a few blankets and lightly tossing them over the warden's antler sensors.

Thankfully, it didn't stir.

Xisuma untangled it's arm from it's grasp, his leg from underneath, and backed away facing the creature in case it woke. A gentle hand on his back at least thirty blocks away stopped him, and he heaved a heavy sigh and turned to the small group. Ren and Cub had run off elsewhere, healing the other Hermits who scurried away. It only left Team ZIT.

"Well, isn't that somethin'?" the Admin said, as if talking about a sunset. He began to walk away, farther into the comfort and safety of the Shopping District, the trio following after him like ducklings. Tango snorted at the Admin’s sentence (he returned and gathered his items at some point), a hand over his mouth as he stopped himself from bursting out laughing. Next to him, Zed choked on air.

"How- what- hUh?" Zed sputtered, his gaze alternating between Xisuma and the warden. "You just say that like you took a stroll in the park? That thing completely _destroyed_ Tango with his armor on-"

"Okay Zed, you didn't have to call me out like tha-"

"And you just say, 'iSn'T tHat soMetHinG?'" Zedaph finished, his voice shrill. Impulse chuckled and sympathetically patted his back. Xisuma looked to the sky, and after a moment, nodded as the corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile.

Tango's eyes lit up with a (possibly and probably bad) idea, but before Xisuma could shut it down, he shot the question, "So, eh heh- y'know, why does it like you and not me? I want a warden friend!"

The Admin’s eyes narrowed in suspicion and his eyebrows rose disappearing past the visibility of the visor, probably right into his hairline. Handing the wool back to Impulse who he quietly thanked, he answered Tango’s question with slight hesitance, "Er- it can... smell me?" At their amused chuckles to his uncertainty, Xisuma huffed indignantly with the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. "Right… all its other senses are enhanced due to its lack of sight. I'm sure it smelled the void on me and calmed since it’s originally from the void, and..." he trailed off, gesturing to the general direction of where he left the warden..

"So do the mobs from the End do that too?"

Xisuma hummed in confirmation, then turned away with a faux disappointed shake of his head, rockets and communicator in hand, ready to contact the higher ups. "I believe so. Is there any rhyme or reason you ask this?”

Tango pressed his lips together, “So… theoretically, if I get an Ender Dragon into-”

“Absolutely not.” Xisuma didn’t need him to finish the question. He didn’t know why he even asked, what else did he expect?

Tango raised his hands in defense, an innocent smile pulling at his lips. “No no no! It’s not like I actually _was_ or anything, I’m just asking! Would you satisfy a man’s curiosity?”

“If you get a Dragon into the Overworld or the Nether, I might forget to fix all the lag or bugs in your part of the world.” He managed to give a passive-aggressive smile through his eyes to Tango who dramatically clutched his chest and threw his head back to the sky.

“Oh no! Ah! Lag! Bugs! The end of me!”

Xisuma scoffed playfully, releasing his breathy chuckle and shook his head. “Right. Now, gotta be off to contact the higher ups ‘bout this, don’t want any other server… or us again, for that matter, experiencing this. Would be rather unfortunate if a hardcode world was subject to host this mob, wouldn’t it?” The trio nodded, two of the three secretly hoping another warden would wiggle it’s way past their own server’s coding again.

And with that, Xisuma was off, almost as if it never happened in the first place.

…

“Okay now that he’s out of hearing range lets sneak an Ender Dragon into your base-”

**Author's Note:**

> *How to Train Your Dragon intensifies*  
> Thank you for taking the time to read and have a good rest of your day <3


End file.
